Castro: surgery ′final verdict′ some time away

Cubans await more news about leader Fidel Castro after his stomach operation. Temporary power has gone to his younger brother, Raul, the first time in 47 years that Castro has not been in charge of the country.

The president released a statement saying he was in good spirits after surgery, thanking world leaders and supporters for their good wishes. The statement said it would take some time for doctors to give “a final verdict” on his recovery.

Despite his claim that all was well in the country, police and civilian groups patrolled areas hit by civil disturbances in the past. Cuban-Americans celebrated news of Castro’s illness and possible demise. Many of them regard the 79-year-old as a dictator who forced their families into exile after the 1959 revolution.